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Coins as thermometers

November 13, 2014 – In the early 18th century, two scholars, Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit and Anders Celsius, independently developed universal temperature scales. Both systems of reference are still in use today. Coin Invest Trust has designed two coins for Palau and Cook Islands which can be used as thermometers – with the scale of one of the two famous scientists respectively.

Being able to objectively tell how hot or cold something is may seem trivial today, but around 1700 it was still impossible. Although the thermometer had already been invented by then, there was no distinct scale for it. Sometimes even the measuring results of one and the same thermometer could vary depending on changes in air pressure.

Palau/ 5 Dollars/ 1 oz Silver .925/ 50 mm/ Mintage: 450.

German physicist Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit (1686–1736) was the first to overcome this deficiency. In 1714, he designed a thermometer that had its own temperature scale, so it would always reliably measure the same values, even if mass-produced. This was made possible by using mercury, a liquid whose volume changes in different temperatures. Fahrenheit’s system soon enjoyed great popularity. Many countries, among them the US, still use the Fahrenheit scale today.

Cook Islands/ 5 Dollars/ 1 oz Silver .925/ 50 mm/ Mintage: 1744.

Only years after Fahrenheit’s invention, Swedish scholar Anders Celsius (1701–1744) revolutionised thermometry. He defined the boiling point of water at 0 and its freezing point at 100 degrees as reference points for his scale. These values came to universal validity because Celsius also indicated which air-pressure level corresponded to the boiling and the freezing point. Although the scale’s values were later inversed, its basic working principle remains unaltered and, as such, is still applied in large parts of the world.

Two innovative coins now pay homage to these two scientists and inventors: Coin Invest Trust has incorporated thermometers into the coins, which can measure the temperature according to the scale of one of the two scholars, between 57 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit or between 14 and 32 degrees Celsius respectively. The different scales correspond to the country-specific usage: Fahrenheit in Palau, Celsius on the Cook Islands.

The coins are minted by B.H. Mayer’s Kunstprägeanstalt GmbH. Collectors can purchase the issue through specialty dealers. More information you may find on the website of Coin Invest Trust.

Coin Invest Trust is as innovative and creative as ever, not just when it comes to its coin design, but also with regard to protecting its precious collectibles from forgeries. Have you already read about the new security feature SeQrySign?